And Finally: Nice work Mr Beaver (BBC)

It is a tradition in some countries including the UK / US to have an "And finally" story which is usually some cute or funny story to make the hellish world that has just been covered in the main news more bearable.

It is also tradition at least in the UK for the classic film called "The Great Escape" to be shown on tv at Christmas. This film tells the story of a daring escape of British prisoners of war escaping from a prison camp in Germany during World War 2.

Both of these thoughts will help me round off 2008 with the story of the Beaver great escape. In October 3 Beavers escaped from a farm in Devon, UK. Two were apprehended quite quickly but the third male beaver remains on the loose.

From the pictures on the news article he has really gone to town on some local trees. In a sense you have to admire his workmanship, he has done a better job than a man with a large chainsaw.

Apparently the beavers are licensed and are generally part of a wildlife photography business. They escaped through an electric fence and although the exact escape plan is unknown it is assumed the fence failed during local flooding allowing the beavers to escape.

"The names Beaver, James Beaver, licensed to log trees."

-Escaped Beaver talking to the local press.

They know where the beaver lives and are currently trying to entrap it with "honey pots" which are laced with female beaver scent and a gin & tonic shaken not stirred.

The interesting point that this does raise is that originally Beavers were native in the UK, so this is an interesting case study into what might happen if beavers were re-introduced. Although the area of release would have to be carefully chosen as the video suggests that many land owners would not be happy with a beaver on their land.

Well Mr Beaver, I salute you, keep up the good work.

Marley & Me

If you have ever loved a dog you need to read this book. It will bring back fond memories, you will laugh and you will cry. A book about a 97 pound bright yellow Labrador which grows from a fur ball to a force of nature. The book follows the ups, downs, heels and "incomings!" of life through the eyes and mostly tongue of a happy go lucky Labrador and the family that grows up around it.

Everyone that has every owned their own dog will find something in this book and everyone that thinks about owning a dog will find out what they have been missing.

I laughed and cried in this book, and one of my favourite snippets which just typifies a dog who just does what they want to, regardless, is when the dog features in a film. The whole scene is about a dog getting out the car with its family.

"Take one: The Van pulls to the curb. The instant the daughter slides open the side door, a yellow streak shoots out like a giant fur ball being fired from a cannon and blurs past the cameras trailing a red lead...
Take two: The Van pulls to the curb. The door slides open. The daughter is just beginning to exit when Marley huffs into view and leaps out past her this time dragging the white-knuckled and white-faced boy behind him...
Take three: The Van pulls up. The door slides open. The daughter exits. The boy exits, holding the leash. As he steps away from the van the leash pulls taut, stretching back inside, but no dog follows...
Take four ...The Van pulls to the curb. The door slides open. The daughter steps out. The boy steps out but with a bewildered look on his face. He peers directly into the camera and holds up his hand. Dangling from it is half the leash, its end jagged and wet with saliva."

- Extract from "Marley & Me" by John Grogan

I guess the one thing that everyone can see is their own dog in that. I remember Nobby the mad springer spaniel who would follow commands only if he felt like it, would get out of the car always first even if it meant jumping over everyone else in the car and who would always pull at his lead even if it was sometimes dragging you home when he was bored of walking.

I am so glad I finally got round to reading the book, I had been putting it off for ages, if you are doing the same then I urge you not to delay and pick it up now, you wont put it down.

To dogs and dog lovers the world over, cheers to best friends.

Has Obama made his first blunder? (BBC)

Cynical journalism raises its ugly head at the BBC. Usually I have a lot of respect for opinion articles from "our own correspondent" but occasionally they do get it wrong.

This is a very cynical piece of writing about President in waiting Obama and his recent choice to make Hilary Clinton his Secretary of State. Justin Webb, the BBC North America Editor suggests that this is his first mistake of his new presidency. The press is eagerly awaiting his first mistake like a pack of vultures waiting for a lion to die of dehydration in the desert. So, that is my first issue with the article, the suggestion that this is his first blunder of many. I like to think of President Obama as the last honest politician, yes he will make mistakes but they will be human mistakes there is no need to wish or look for the first mistake. Indeed it will not be the mistake that I will judge him on, it will be how he deals with it that matters.

An example of Obama as the last honest politician is in fact this appointment of Hilary Clinton, who if she continues to be Secretary of State will be in a prime position to challenge for the presidency at the next election in four years time. A cynical Obama would have ensured she was marginalised and not put in any kind of position which would boost her popularity or power base. The last honest politician, President Obama, would put the good of the government and his country first and given her the job.

Justin Webb then embarks on a long rambling diatribe about how Bill Clinton is only good for parties and speeches, he is pretty much only in it for himself and how he never achieved much in Office about from "that dalliance with Monica Lewinsky". Justin then makes a further leap to Hilary making her out to be some clinical cyborg and suggests their marriage is "the heart of the Clinton darkness". Fairly irrelevant rubbish which if the sexes were reversed could be considered to be rather old fashioned sexism. A serious politician which Hilary clearly is, cannot be judged purely on the behaviour of her husband, who is rather harshly judged himself.

There are another few paragraphs of snide comments about the Clinton's and suggestions that you cant get one without the other and that together they are trouble. This cynical journalism is written straight from the gutter and should the BBC be looking to re-organise the news department I would suggest that Justin Webb has become embittered by American politics and should be quietly moved on or retired.

President Obama, I have a feeling this will not be the last of these type of articles and I am sure you have a good positive media manager to stand above the hype and the vitriol. In any future hour of darkness can I suggest you take the Winston Churchill approach to the Media.

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France,
we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,
we shall fight on the beaches,
we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
we shall fight in the hills;
we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old."

- Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain 4 June 1940

Fight them, the media wherever they may choose to do battle, fight them for the truth, the honesty and the moral high ground. Don't ever give up your position as the last honest politician.

What was going on there then?

I was off on one of my irregular visits to one of the outlying depots. This time I have been doing a grand tour updating the local HR managers on some process changes we are making. I tend to do most of the work with my manager helping with the bigger bits. My manager is more than happy to delegate these meetings to me as I know exactly what is going on and can brief it with no problems.

So my boss delegated responsibility to me to arrange and give this briefing. So I contacted the manager and suggested we meet up. She kind of dithered about it so I left it a few days, it went a bit quiet and when I bought it up again she told me she had contacted my boss to arrange the meeting. My boss had already passed it on to me so we kind of said fair enough, if they need a bit more senior manager hand holding then we can go do it together.

So we get there my boss (female) and me (male) to meet this HR manager (female). My boss does a quick intro and then hands over to me as I know all the detail. So I am going through everything and any time the HR manager asks a question she addresses it to my boss. Its almost like the entire conversation is between her and my manager and I am nothing more than an audio tape. This was accompanied with her generally looking at my boss and using body language to focus on my boss and not me.

It was very disconcerting and if the sexes were reversed so that I was female with two males you might interpret it as sexism. I find it difficult to believe it was sexism but equally I find it hard to believe she didn't talk to me because I clearly know my stuff and my area of work. I have a good reputation around the organisation and am known for my thoroughness.

My boss and I did talk about it briefly afterwards but she was none the wiser and it had made her feel a bit awkward as well, because she is completely confident with my briefing ability and would have happily left it to me. She had already tried to convince the HR manager that I was completely competent in giving the briefing.

So I don't know what that was about but it will be interesting to see what happens in the future.

Snow Watch 2008 leg 3

The Met Office have issued weather warnings for a severe weather event effecting the UK from Scotland down to the midlands. During Thursday there is a high risk of snow in the north decreasing to a moderate risk the further south you go to the midlands. Snow is expected to move westwards during Wednesday night falling as snow / sleet or hail.

Accumulations of 2 -5 cm of snow are expected with up to 10-20 cm in the far north on high ground.

Watch this space, who will wake to a covering of the thick white stuff, find out tomorrow.